Pretty much the perfect storm of mediocre service, increased demand, and massive weather delays. Sorry to everyone impacted, whether it’s missed family time over the holidays or cancelled vacations.
We’ve flown WJ three times since last fall without any major issues. They’ve taken a huge hit here though, it’s going to take some work to recover.
WestJet has actually done fantastic here during this time.
They completely cut all service last month. You can't cancel customer's plans and piss them off during Christmas, if you tell them to pound sound and refuse to offer service in the first place!
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The problem is that Air Canada is slowly but surely pulling the rug out from YYC. More and more destinations are getting cut as they concede territory to WestJet and the startups.
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WestJet has actually done fantastic here during this time.
They completely cut all service last month. You can't cancel customer's plans and piss them off during Christmas, if you tell them to pound sound and refuse to offer service in the first place!
That's pretty nearly Air Canada's attitude in Calgary. I had multiple non-stops to multiple destinations with them all re-routed through Vancouver or Toronto, generally with plenty of backtracking and long/terrible connections.
I'd love to have a solid mainline alternative to Westjet but in Calgary we really don't.
Man, I wanted more of a travel-based card and was this close to getting that West Jet MasterCard this past summer too. So glad I just did Avion instead, what a mess. Sad, West Jet used to be awesome. Even the 2 cancelled flights I had with them back in 2018 & 2019, they hooked me up to the point I'm glad the cancellations happened. It's like a different company now.
My friend that has an Avion card makes it seem like there's been a huge devaluation in Avion being used for travel though...
That's pretty nearly Air Canada's attitude in Calgary. I had multiple non-stops to multiple destinations with them all re-routed through Vancouver or Toronto, generally with plenty of backtracking and long/terrible connections.
I'd love to have a solid mainline alternative to Westjet but in Calgary we really don't.
I get what you're saying but WestJest hasn't reduced its service. It's 100% gone.
Granted the seasonal route to Toronto will likely be back next summer, I'm curious if it will return next summer and if so, will it be the 6ish weeks from previous years or the 3-4 months like pre-Encore?
Air Canada has reduced its service here too. The, once upon a time, 5 daily flights to Halifax has been reduced to 0. Although there is now a direct YYZ flight and YUL flight. Unfortunately the YYZ flight leaves at 5am, the YUL flight at 5pm. Meaning connections suck both ways. You're either up at 2-3am to travel, or arriving at your hotel/place of stay in the evening. Or, drive 4+ hours to Halifax for better flight options, but that drive back after a day of travel sucks pretty hard.
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I'm mildly entertained by everyone complaining about whatever airline they booked with when every single airline has the exact same issue. Every airline is the worst airline ever depending on who you ask.
I believe for the last week we're at or near 20,000 cancelled flights across all the big airlines in North America due to the weather.
None of the airlines have the capacity to makeup that kind of deficient and none of them have enough customer service people to help out that many people.
Why? because we all want the cheapest flights possible.
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I'm mildly entertained by everyone complaining about whatever airline they booked with when every single airline has the exact same issue. Every airline is the worst airline ever depending on who you ask.
I believe for the last week we're at or near 20,000 cancelled flights across all the big airlines in North America due to the weather.
None of the airlines have the capacity to makeup that kind of deficient and none of them have enough customer service people to help out that many people.
Why? because we all want the cheapest flights possible.
Yeah, unfortunately that many cancelled flights basically can't be made up. The amount of spare planes/crews/Airport capacity that would be required is basically double everything. Which is totally unrealistic given the few days a year it would be needed. Unfortunately this year it happened over Christmas vs a random week in January when there would be more spare capacity.
**fingers permanently crossed for my flight tomorrow**
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I'm mildly entertained by everyone complaining about whatever airline they booked with when every single airline has the exact same issue. Every airline is the worst airline ever depending on who you ask.
I believe for the last week we're at or near 20,000 cancelled flights across all the big airlines in North America due to the weather.
None of the airlines have the capacity to makeup that kind of deficient and none of them have enough customer service people to help out that many people.
Why? because we all want the cheapest flights possible.
I think you meant to say because the airlines want to maximize profits.
And all of this while coming back from massive Covid related downsizing, trying to hire like crazy in tight labour markets (from min wage entry level jobs to pilot shortages). So lots of excuses, with some legitimacy, but it doesn’t change the fact how badly this sucks for everyone trying to visit family, or go on vacation, and to have their plans blown apart.
I’ve been trying to objectively identify what my company could’ve done differently, and what could be done differently from a bigger industry wide perspective. The reality is most of the options involve substantial cost, and having higher costs than your competitors is a huge problem when most ticket purchasing is based on ticket price.
This situation has sucked for everyone, especially everyone trying to travel somewhere the last week.
I think you meant to say because the airlines want to maximize profits.
Not sure if you're serious or not with this comment, but the airlines are just like the grocery stores, none of them make serious enough margins that you would even notice a difference in ticket prices if they cut their profits in half.
Delta made a 280 million dollar profit flying 103 million people in 2021, this means they made roughly $2.71 per passenger in net income. Lets cut their profit in half, boom you saved $1.35 per ticket.
There are some interesting breakdowns online about this, but generally all the airlines are completely worthless as businesses and they only have any value at all due to their passenger loyalty programs.
I think you meant to say because the airlines want to maximize profits.
No, he’s correct. Tickets purchasing is overwhelmingly based on price, we’ve proven that repeatedly as a society. We all want Cadillac service at Lada prices.
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My friend that has an Avion card makes it seem like there's been a huge devaluation in Avion being used for travel though...
Just curious, how so? I've only had it 4 months and haven't gone on a trip yet (booked one for August though). Haven't touched those initial points yet that appears to be enough for a free flight anywhere in the continental USA. Them making it seem better than it is or something, that the fine print nullifies?
And all of this while coming back from massive Covid related downsizing, trying to hire like crazy in tight labour markets (from min wage entry level jobs to pilot shortages). So lots of excuses, with some legitimacy, but it doesn’t change the fact how badly this sucks for everyone trying to visit family, or go on vacation, and to have their plans blown apart.
I’ve been trying to objectively identify what my company could’ve done differently, and what could be done differently from a bigger industry wide perspective. The reality is most of the options involve substantial cost, and having higher costs than your competitors is a huge problem when most ticket purchasing is based on ticket price.
This situation has sucked for everyone, especially everyone trying to travel somewhere the last week.
I think the airline industry has to raise wages to attract quality employees for many of their positions where they currently have problems.
Since the pandemic, it seems that luggage is constantly being lost. The obvious issue is that lots of experienced baggage handlers left during the pandemic and haven't come back. How do you attract good employees? Pay them more. It's painfully obvious that there aren't enough baggage handlers and it's not surprising. Who would want to work outside in -30 in the middle of the night, breaking their back for close to minimum wage? I wouldn't.
I've seen criticism from some former airline employees that most positions have turned into Mcjobs, shift work starting out around minimum wage.
Who would want to be a gate agent, making $16 an hour just to get yelled at by frustrated people all day long? I wouldn't.
Planes taxiing, waiting for ground staff is common at many big airports now. Why? Lack of staff.
The risk in raising wages is that ticket prices are more expensive and then you may lose market share to Air Canada. How much of that is really a risk given the East/West divide of Air Canada/Westjet?
I just don't see how things improve without paying more to attract and retain good people. Yeah, some people will get upset, but the status quo isn't really working.
Last edited by Johnny199r; 12-26-2022 at 11:24 AM.
Basically you need to get as much trip cancelation insurance as is available because flights are a "maybe" no matter who you're flying with and there is absolutely no guarantee you'll get where you're going, so you'd better make sure you won't end up stuck with the hotel bill for a room you're not in.
The bigger issue for me in this case was YVR incompetence. Yes, sometimes there are winter storms in Vancouver. Some years there aren't, but it's far from unprecedented. To be completely unable to handle any significant snowfall, and screw up air travel for half the country, is simply not acceptable. Any other airport in the country could have handled that storm with minimal disruption to travel schedules.
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Basically you need to get as much trip cancelation insurance as is available because flights are a "maybe" no matter who you're flying with and there is absolutely no guarantee you'll get where you're going, so you'd better make sure you won't end up stuck with the hotel bill for a room you're not in.
The bigger issue for me in this case was YVR incompetence. Yes, sometimes there are winter storms in Vancouver. Some years there aren't, but it's far from unprecedented. To be completely unable to handle any significant snowfall, and screw up air travel for half the country, is simply not acceptable. Any other airport in the country could have handled that storm with minimal disruption to travel schedules.
What lessons will have been learned? What will they do differently? I doubt anything.
We almost always go to Toronto or Regina for Christmas but thanks to UCP my wife has to work Wed-Fri this week so we stayed home this year. Thanks Kenney/Shandro, finally a benefit to your incompetence.
My brother was flying from Seattle to Regina through Vancouver and after three different airline cancellations/rebookings he ended up here for 30 hours before getting to Regina 4 days late.
Hundreds of Canadians stranded in Cancun, Mexico, after their Sunwing flights were cancelled last week are still trying to find out how they'll get home.
Passengers said they've been shuffled from hotel to hotel after sleeping on floors at the airport and in lobbies with no end in sight to their ordeal.
Basically you need to get as much trip cancelation insurance as is available because flights are a "maybe" no matter who you're flying with and there is absolutely no guarantee you'll get where you're going, so you'd better make sure you won't end up stuck with the hotel bill for a room you're not in.
The bigger issue for me in this case was YVR incompetence. Yes, sometimes there are winter storms in Vancouver. Some years there aren't, but it's far from unprecedented. To be completely unable to handle any significant snowfall, and screw up air travel for half the country, is simply not acceptable. Any other airport in the country could have handled that storm with minimal disruption to travel schedules.
Head of YVR came out and said they were proud of their response.
Which is ridiculous, imo. That's a huge airport in Canada. Having the ability to clear snow should be obvious.
The airlines having hundreds of extra planes at a hundred million each isn't realistic. YVR having a couple of extra snowplows and deicing setups seems more reasonable.
